14 Oct 2023
Usually, I head over to Doc’s Diner on my last morning for a nice pancake breakfast, but since I still had leftovers from a couple days ago, I decided to just eat my remainder pancake on my deck and watch the dive boats go out:
I didn’t last very long- it was already quite humid and I didn’t want to damage my computer, so I headed back indoors to the AC and packed up.
But before heading back up to MIA for my flight home, I drove down to the Blond Giraffe for a slice of Key lime pie on a stick:
YUM! Definitely worth the 10-15 minute drive down to Islamorada- this pie is gooey and sweet yet tangy, the graham cracker crust was crisp and flavorful… yup, there’s no substitute- this is my favorite pie!
This little bird was sitting outside the door:
Not sure if he flew into the door and is just stunned or if he’s actually injured, but I was inches from him and he did not move. Poor little guy!
The drive up to Miami was mostly uneventful- it was overcast and rainy most of the time but otherwise not bad; returning my car and checking my bag went smooth; there was no line at security… unfortunately, things started going downhill during boarding.
Around the time we should have been pushing back, the pilot came on the intercom and told us our plane was throwing a faulty engine air bleed error. They were going to reboot and hope that fixed it; the plane would be going dark for a few minutes while that happened:
But bad news, the reboot did not fix things. Next step is to replace the computer. They were hoping to be able to source one locally otherwise one would need to be flown in. At this point, we’re about 45 minutes delayed and they started announcing all the connections people wouldn’t make.
We finally got the update that the module we needed was here, but it would be another 45-60 minutes before all the paperwork and rechecks were done. I had started a movie when I first boarded so I just settled in for a long wait, but about 15 minutes later, they came back on the intercom and told us we’d have to deplane. They cited some rule about how long we were allowed to sit at the gate, but I most definitely sat on a plane at the gate for much longer waiting to depart Orlando, so I’m not sure the reasoning behind this but off we went.
I had almost finished sorting through pictures before we boarded so I figured I’d get some more work done while we waited. I had no sooner popped open one of my many packed snacks when I got a text from Delta:
I’m impressed by how proactive they’re being- it was over a month before Sun Country offered any compensation when my Orlando flight was delayed, but I’m guessing if they’re handing out meal vouchers right away, we’re probably in for a long wait.
Well, I like free food, so I found some fun snacks:
A fruit torte, guanabana juice and a pecan roll 🙂 Maybe not the most filling meal, but fun and quite tasty!
I had just settled back in at the gate with my food when they announced the plane was good to go and we could reboard. Huh. Unexpected, but a welcome surprise.
And finally, 3.5 hours after we were scheduled to leave, we finally departed Miami!
I took advantage of the cheap off-site parking again for this trip, but I wasn’t sure what would happen if I arrived late (I had to put an arrival time for both checking my car in and picking it back up) so I called and told them my flight was delayed and they said not to worry about it. I could come back a week late and it would be ok, just travel safely. So that was a relief and honestly, may have sealed my decision to use them for all my airport parking needs.
Last time we were here, we learned that the cars parked in the aisle were valet-parked, and I wondered how they know where to park them so they aren’t parking people in. Tonight, that white car was totally parking me in but the shuttle driver just hopped in and moved it. Apparently valet-parked cars are kept unlocked with the keys in them? Not sure I like that… so this will be my go-to parking as long as I can self-park.
I had a few stops I was hoping to hit on my way out of the Cities, but everything was closed by the time I landed, so I made the long drive back home, in the dark, though the construction traffic Matt and I hit on our way home a couple weeks ago was non-existent, so that was nice.
Overall, not my best trip, and I don’t like the increasing delays I’ve been running into at the airport, but I got hit in the face with a jellyfish, which amuses me to no end. Definitely a highlight of my diving career!